Big data is one of those business buzzwords that gets thrown around a lot these days. Companies collect huge amounts of data about their customers and their operations. Crunching all those numbers can give you some excellent insights to help drive your business forward. Usually, we think of big data in terms of marketing. It is used to build customer profiles and determine what makes people tick. However, it’s equally useful for managing internal operations and improving efficiency, especially in manufacturing.
Many manufacturing companies overlook big data, and they don’t invest in tools to collect and manage information because they don’t consider how important it is. Yet, if you want to stay relevant and grow in the future, you need to get on board. These are some of the significant ways that big data can benefit your manufacturing operation.
Predict Maintenance Issues
Maintenance issues lead to downtime, and that leads to lost revenue. Finding ways to tackle maintenance issues and avoid malfunctions can save you a lot of money, and big data is the way to do it. Big data allows you to track all the machine failures and the factors that cause them, so you can predict maintenance issues before they happen. Instead of being reactive, you can be proactive and avoid downtime. You can also make necessary additions to machines based on the data you collect. For example, if you notice a machine is constantly failing when the weather is hot and humid, it could be down to excess moisture. You can then use this information to drive decisions like fitting an instrument air dryer package. Installing instrument air dryer packages solves the problem with humidity and helps you avoid breakdowns in the future. This is just one example of how using big data can prevent maintenance issues and save you money.
Improve Product Quality
Testing is the best way to improve product quality. By testing all aspects of the product and the materials used to make it, you can identify weaknesses and make improvements. The only problem is that running hundreds of tests is very expensive and time-consuming. Running virtual tests using data collected about materials and products, on the other hand, is much more affordable and faster. The results of the tests are also more reliable because you remove the chance for human error. Ultimately, this means you can improve product quality and get products to market faster, while also saving time and money.
Here is the paragraph: Data aggregation is the process where raw data is gathered and summarized in a quantitative format, and is typically used to gain macro insights from large amounts of data. A commonly known example of data aggregation is the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from the Department of Labor which aggregates price changes in a wide variety of goods and services to track the fluctuation of the cost of living in the U.S. at intertrust.com
Integrate Automation
People are often concerned about automation because they think it will take jobs away. However, in most cases, automation is being used to supplement human workers and make their lives easier. However, implementing automation requires information. Automation tools need to gather and assess data to carry out tasks more effectively. If you start investing in big data systems now, it will be much easier for you to integrate automation as time goes on.
Big data isn’t just something that tech companies or marketing agencies need to focus on, it impacts the manufacturing industry too. Start investing now or you risk falling behind the curve.
